Ireland has a beautiful coastline and one of the best and most popular places to experience the coast is County Kerry in the southwest region. The area includes rugged and striking terrain, a national park, historical landmarks, and charming small villages.
We started our Kerry journey in Killarney National Park where we enjoyed a sunny day (one of the only ones we had). We did a fun bike ride through the park visiting Torc waterfall, the grounds of the Muckross estate, and the remains of Muckross abbey (a former Franciscan friary). The courtyard yew tree, the burial place of ancient chieftains, is said to be as old as the abbey (circa 1450).
The Ring of Kerry along the Iveragh Peninsula is a 135-mile drive that takes nearly an entire day as you stop and admire the fantastic scenery. It’s a journey through an unspoiled landscape where each turn seems to bring a better view.
There were three particularly memorable stops: (1) the Skellig Chocolate Factory, (2) the Skellig Experience Center on Valentia Island, and (3) the ring forts. The first needs no explanation; suffice it to say there were lots of free samples.
The Skellig Experience Center explains the history of Skellig Michael, a fascinating island monastic settlement dating back to the sixth century. It is best known as the place where Luke Skywalker is found at the end of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It’s a rugged little island that isn’t hard to get to if the weather cooperates, but it didn’t for us, so we missed out on our boat tour around the island and seeing the seabirds. Still, we learned a lot about the monks’ lives and history by stopping here.
The ring forts are circular stone forts built sometime between 500 BC and 300 AD without the aid of mortar or cement. These impressively large structures have withstood the test of time and the rainy Irish climate. Jeff’s position in each photo gives some perspective on their size.
The Dingle Slea Head Loop is much shorter at 30 miles but is even more charming. We stopped at various sites, one even included the opportunity to feed some farm animals. You can become a bit jaded since in Ireland it’s one stone structure after another, but these structures were built somewhere between 1700 and 2500 years ago without any mortar (note in the third photo below Jeff has removed a stone from the wall - with enough space and time, you could simply dismantle the whole thing, yet it has withstood the elements for centuries). The Dunberg Fort, built right on the edge of a cliff offered great views as you can see; and we visited a group of beehive huts, which are unique specimens even for Ireland. Finally, the 1,300-year-old Gallarus Oratory is a well-preserved early Christian church, which is tiny and could only hold about a dozen monks for prayers. Amazingly, in all of the centuries, and with all of the rain Ireland receives, it has never leaked.
While we didn’t have great weather on either day, we enjoyed the scenery and stepping back into history along the way. Both drives are highly recommended.
More posts and photos to come,
Shana & Jeff
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